42 graduate from Online Firefighter Recruit Academy

1/6/2016 12:00 AM

COLLEGE STATION - Forty-two new firefighters graduated from the 11th Online Firefighter Recruit Academy at Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). The graduation ceremony was held Dec. 21 at the H.D. Smith Complex for the students, who came from Texas and Canada, as well as Alaska, Washington, California and Missouri.

The keynote speaker was Fire Chief Sean Ralston of Kotzebue, Alaska, who is a graduate of the TEEX Online Firefighter Recruit Academy.

The graduates completed 335 hours of training online before traveling to College Station for an intensive 21-day, 210-hour, hands-on firefighting “boot camp” at Brayton Fire Training Field. The course prepares participants for the ProBoard Firefighter I and Firefighter II national exams.

The program is eligible for college credit through the Fire Science Technology degree program at Blinn College and the Fire and Emergency Services Administration degree program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio.

The Online Firefighter Recruit Academy has graduated 386 students since the first class was held in 2011. Graduates range in age from under 21 to over 50 years old.